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Cultural Sensitivity and Workplace Dialogue
Build cultural sensitivity skills to manage interpersonal relationshipsPreview the first lesson free — get full access to all 7 lessons.
Intermediate Provider : Heidi Jenkins 7 Lessons · 19m in German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese
Course Description
In this course, you’ll learn what cultural sensitivity is and how to differentiate it from cultural competence. You’ll discover the stages of cultural sensitivity and how to move forward, toward being a more inclusive coworker. You’ll also learn how your background influences your actions and gain best practices for developing cultural sensitivity.
As today’s workforce becomes increasingly diverse, many employees are prioritizing inclusive companies, which has proven to facilitate greater success. While managers may understand the concept of valuing each employee’s perspective, benefitting from a culturally inclusive workplace requires savvy and action. In these lessons, we teach leading methods that are at the center of thriving work environments, where all identities are respected and integrated into company culture. We guide you through the fundamentals of cultural awareness and communication patterns that empower innovation, teamwork, and authenticity.
Because everyone’s identity is associated with multiple intersecting diversity markers like race, gender, and social class, we discuss ways a person’s background influences attitudes, behavior, and interactions. You will learn to apply cultural sensitivity and cultural competence to improve the way you approach others. Cultural sensitivity is important in the workplace because it can foster an environment where there’s an awareness of similarities and differences between people without assigning values to them or their cultures. We’ll talk about the stages you may undergo when growing more culturally sensitive and you will be able to identify which stages others are in.
According to experts, the quality of work improves when management demonstrates more inclusivity and less bias. This course describes how to address implicit biases and apply empathy to understand microaggressions, as well as their effect on others. As you establish deeper knowledge of subtle ways discrimination may appear at work, creating disparities and causing psychological distress, you will be more equipped to eliminate them.
What You'll Learn
- Define cultural sensitivity and cultural competence, and differentiate between them
- Assess your own cultural competency through self-reflection
- Discover how your own cultural background influences your attitudes and behavior
- Identify the stages of cultural sensitivity and recognize which stage others are in
- Address implicit biases and apply empathy to understand microaggressions and their effects
- Apply best practices for promoting inclusiveness and fostering workplace dialogue
Key Takeaways
- Cultural sensitivity differs from cultural competence, and this course teaches how to apply both to improve how you approach others.
- A person's identity involves multiple intersecting diversity markers like race, gender, and social class, which influence their attitudes, behavior, and interactions.
- Cultural sensitivity fosters an environment that recognizes similarities and differences between people without assigning values to them or their cultures.
- According to experts, the quality of work improves when management demonstrates more inclusivity and less bias.
- Subtle discrimination such as microaggressions can create disparities and cause psychological distress, and recognizing it helps eliminate it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course for?
It is for employees and managers in increasingly diverse workplaces who want to become more inclusive coworkers and build culturally inclusive work environments where all identities are respected and integrated into company culture.
What topics does this course cover?
It covers what cultural sensitivity is and how it differs from cultural competence, the stages of cultural sensitivity, how your background influences your actions, implicit biases, microaggressions, promoting inclusiveness, and fostering dialogue.
What skills will I gain from this course?
You will build cultural responsiveness, cultural sensitivity, intercultural competence, and an understanding of workplace diversity through cultural competency and sensitivity training.
How is the course structured?
The course is organized into lessons including an Introduction, Cultural Sensitivity and the Workplace (Parts 1 and 2), Biases and Microaggressions, Promoting Inclusiveness, Fostering Dialogue, and a Test Your Knowledge assessment.
Why is cultural sensitivity important in the workplace?
It fosters an environment with awareness of similarities and differences between people without assigning values to them or their cultures, and experts note that work quality improves when management shows more inclusivity and less bias.
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